Hi campbelltown... I live near you. I know this post was 2 years ago but am wondering how successful you were with growth. I've tried growing kale a number of times but each time they were instantly eaten by very hungry caterpillars while all my other plants were totally left alone.

I have found the best way to keep caterpillars off is to keep the plants covered with a very fine net where there is no
way for moths to get to them to lay their eggs, make sure the net is held off the growing plants. I've heard spraying with diluted garlic juice is also good but I haven't tried it myself. Plants are only as good as the soil they are grown in so make sure you feed your soil with lots of home-grown compost. The healthier the soil is the less moths and other pests will be attracted to your garden beds. Plants give off an odour that pests can detect if they are not getting all the nutrients they need to
grow properly so then pests attack the plant and you know the rest. Good luck.

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